To Be Decided
by WhimsicalAdoration
Summary: Antonio seemed perfect, so perfect she never wanted to let him go. But when he leaves her high and dry with the ultimate penalty to pay, what can she do. (I'll fix this summary later, read and find out what this dramatic shit is about.)
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1:

They had met in the most conventional way, the way any whirlwind romance starts. A simple bumping of elbows, and a red-faced apology, followed by the meeting of gazes and finally, a smile. Moments like these make people feel wonderful, invincible even, and when Antonio saw Emilia's wide smile and crinkling eyes from the genuineness of it, he knew he had to act on impulse.

He asked her out for coffee.

It was cliche, he knew, but he was a simple man, with simple desires. And Emilia was one of them. She was pretty enough, with her wavy shoulder length hair and deep russet eyes. And when she laughed, loud and mirthful, he knew he was grateful when he collided with her at the Sears they happened to be shopping at.

/

Coffee with him wasn't boring. She picked a quiet corner in the cafe and ordered when they felt ready. They joked and laughed and shared tidbits about each other as the date progressed; he liked his coffee sweet and saturated with condensed milk, and she liked hers a certain shade of brown from meticulously adding in two creams and three sugars. They asked the usual questions and Emilia found out that he had a brother and was from a little town in Andalusia. She told him that she was from Mexico City. She was an only child.

"Your parents?" He asked through a mouthful of a croissant, and when she smiled and laughed as she tried to come up with an answer, he knew he didn't offend.

"My mom's from Oaxaca and my dad was from Tijuana in Baja California." She fiddled with the paper wrapping of a straw that the waiter had given them, and she sighed before looking up at him meaningfully. He understood now why she had mentioned her father in past tense.

"He got sick and passed away last year."

He awkwardly looked down at the delicate plate his cup sat on and she paused to take a sip from the coffee mug she was nursing in her hands. After evoking a little "ahh" sound she continued.

"I'm not shaken up about it like people think I would be. Not anymore at least. I mean, I loved my dad. Still do. And I know he loved me because he would say it every day. There weren't any big fights, no bitterness or anything that would make me feel... Angry towards him..."

All the while, Antonio listened intently, sipping his sickeningly sweet coffee as she rambled. He nodded every now and then and shook his head and chuckled when she'd apologize for babbling.

"... All I'm saying is, I'm glad things turned out the way they did. I don't like to live my life with regrets. It just wouldn't be right. Anyway, what about your parents?"

Antonio set down his mug and stroked his chin. He forgot to shave and the stubble felt foreign across his fingers. Finally, he looked up at her and smiled lazily.

"My parents weren't really there for me growing up. I mean, they didn't neglect me, but they were always busy with work. I learned to get along with it, I have my brother. We fight but we're close. I call my parents too, when they're not traveling or playing tennis in Florida or whatever."

He waved his hand dismissively, looking at the poster covered wall across from them and idly sipped his drink. She coughed and changed the subject.

"So, do you like Los Panchos?"

/

Their initial date turned into two, then three, then four, until finally they went on so many they lost count within the four months they had occurred since they first met at the Sears. When cafes and restaurants became too stale, they began visiting each other. The town they lived in was by no means small, but they found out the other only lived a few blocks away. She had a small studio apartment whose walls were covered with newspaper clippings and paintings and drawings she had done. Emilia was by no means skillful, but they were charming in their own right. Antonio however, shared an apartment with a longtime friend of his, a grumpy young man named Lovino who always seemed to have something to complain about. The first time they met Lovino was when Antonio had asked her to come over for dinner. He had set the mood with dim lights and had made sure to have some of Bobby Capo's softest songs playing in the background. She wouldn't admit it, but he knew songs like "Y, Entonces" and "Mi Mejor Cancion" put her in a rather romantic mood. Things were great, dinner was good and she looked beautiful with the soft light making her skin look even bronzer than it already was. The rice and breaded beef was finished and after tossing the dishes in the sink, they took their rendezvous to the couch.

"Are you sure you didn't order takeout from down the street for me?" She joked, snaking her arms around his neck as she pulled him closer to her.

He chuckled and shook his head, loving every minute of the attention she was giving him. He hovered over her, his arms preventing his weight from crushing her. Emilia smiled sheepishly, her slender fingers stroking the curly hairs on the nape of his neck. Between the kisses and soft noises, Antonio gave her an expecting look and she nodded her head. She never went this far apart from passionate make outs and petting sessions.

Emilia's short hair was spread on the beaten throw pillow and when she laid her head back to let him ravish her, he took no time in slipping off her green sweater. He had never seen her so exposed, and quite frankly, he was getting tired of waiting. She was very hard to bed, and he had been okay with it the first couple of months. But now, he had her. Her small pert breasts were covered by a layer of lace and from the look on her face, he could've sworn this was her first time wearing something so enticing.

He couldn't have hated the sound of the lock clicking even more than he did at that moment.

"Hey Antonio, did you remember to water my-"

Time seemed to have frozen over as Lovino stared at Antonio and Emilia on the couch. He couldn't see her bra, because Antonio had quickly covered her with a throw pillow, but he could see her bare thin shoulders, and that was enough for him to get the message.

"Ah... Sorry." He mumbled hastily, rushing to his room.

They heard the door slam shut and Antonio sighed and sat up.

"I'm sorry... Do you maybe want to go home?"

She shook her head and smiled.

"Toni, it's fine. I'll stay and we can finish this later. Right now, you can tell your friend not to freak out so much."

Antonio nodded quickly and scrambled off the couch to quietly plead Lovino to leave. Meanwhile, Emilia pulled her sweater on and sat patiently with a throw pillow resting on her lap. She stared at the television set that sat across from them and wondered what these two watched. Footsteps echoed through the short hallway and she snapped her attention to them only to notice that Lovino was sliding on a different jacket with Antonio walking nonchalantly behind him.

"Hi Lovi," she greeted sweetly, wiggling her fingers in salutation.

He stopped his ministrations for a second to wave back and smile halfheartedly, still a little uneasy to have almost caught his roommate in the act.

"This is the first and last time you sexile me, Antonio." He chastised, wagging his finger at him as he hurriedly walked through the door and slammed it behind him.

/

After Lovino had left, Antonio took no time in getting back to where they had left off. This time he picked her up and carried her to his bedroom, making sure his door was locked. He was sweet and loving at first but he soon became undone and ravaged her completely. She wasn't a virgin, she admitted that initially after he broached the subject, and he certainly wasn't either. But he made sure not to hurt her and made a considerate lover.

They reached their peak and collapsed on his bed, catching their breath in greedy gasps.

"To be honest Toni, even I couldn't stand the tension."

He grinned and held her close to him, and eventually fell asleep to the rhythmic stokes of her finger on his chest and the white noise of the city traffic.

He could end each day like this, but he wasn't sure for how long.


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note: Okay, so I know the first chapter didn't make much sense, plot wise. But I want to work on my writing and have more detail and plot. And also, I love this pairing. And angst. I really wish they had a Mexico character on Hetalia. Please read and review, you could help me with the plot and whatever else I need to work on. Thanks!

Chapter 2

That was the first time they made love and they made sure to go to her apartment every time they planned to again. Emilia was more than content with him, and he seemed like he was too. But soon, his visits became less frequent and the calls more sporadic until finally, Emilia wouldn't hear from him for days on end. Her phone calls went to voicemail and it only puzzled her more. She wasn't the clingy type, and she figured his absence was from work or something came up, and she tried her best to understand, but finally it became too much. She called Lovino. She had given him her number in case of emergencies, and right now, she felt it appropriate to do so.

She chewed her lip in anticipation as she waited for the heavily accented voice to greet her on the other end.

"'Ello?"

She let out a breath of relief she hadn't realized she'd been holding.

"Hi, Lovino, it's me. Emilia." She greeted breathily, her anxiety washing away for a second, "I'm sorry to bug you-"

"No, you're not bugging me at all, what's up?"

She opened her mouth for a second, her words half formed and rudimentary.

"I was- I just- I don't know, Lovino," She suddenly broke out in tears, "Can you please get some coffee with me?"

Silence ensued and she could hear the faint static through the receiver.

"Hello? Lovino? Are you still there?"

"Yeah, I'm still on the line. I'll be over in fifteen minutes."

She heard a click and then pure silence.

Wiping her tears, Emilia changed out of her pajamas and into a comfortable pair of jeans and a sweater. She sat patiently on one of her kitchen barstools and stayed put until she heard a knock on her door, all the while staring glassy eyed at the floor.

"Come in." She said monotonously.

Lovino appeared in the doorway, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly as she stood up and grabbed her purse off her old fashioned hat rack.

"Let's go, I know where we can talk in peace. Right now this place is a mess."

He looked over her head and noticed that the room was littered with painted canvases strewn around the floor and her vanity. Paintbrushes accompanied the chaos, dried smears of brilliant color staining the tile. Among the litter, were empty paint bottles and broken pencils and other art supplies that looked like they were thrown around haphazardly.

Despite this, Lovino shrugged and denied her claims.

"Whatever you want. Let's go."

She closed and locked the door behind them, leading him to her car. They boarded and she silently drove them to the destination she had in mind, the only noise disturbing the peaceful atmosphere was the soft drawl of Stan Getz "Girl from Ipanema."

"You like jazz?" He suddenly broke out.

"Yeah."

"Me too."

/

She took them to where she had initially gone with Antonio when they started dating. Same table in the corner, same coffee ordered. Two creams, two sugars. Lovino broke the pattern by ordering a double shot of espresso. She drank hers in episodes, chewing her lip thoughtfully between sips until she spoke up.

"Lovino. I know we don't really talk, and I'm just your roommate's girlfriend-"

"Wait, you two are still dating?"

She stopped herself from taking a sip and looked at him bewildered.

"Yes..." She answered slowly, "Why wouldn't we be?"

He was just as perplexed, his eyebrows furrowing together.

"He told me you guys aren't. That you guys decided to see other people."

She took a couple seconds to process what he said and her face blanched and in an instant she could feel the cognitive thoughts in her mind vanish. She gripped the mug hard, and despite her petite frame, she was afraid it would break in her hands.

"I see." She evoked emotionlessly.

Her head was beginning to hurt and she felt one of her rare migraines kick in.

"Are you okay?"

His coffee was untouched but his hand was warm from the heat emitting from the porcelain. She could feel it when he placed it on hers.

"Emilia?"

She hummed in response.

"Let's get you out of here."

He asked for the check and paid for their drinks. He tried helping her up but she stopped him.

"Lovino. Where is he?"

That didn't catch him by surprise.

"At home."

She nodded and mumbled a soft okay.

"I'm driving." She stated, grabbing her keys out of her purse.

"No it's okay-"

"It's my car. You can walk home if you don't agree with it."

He looked baffled, but when she glared at him he knew she was serious.

It didn't take a genius to figure out where she was taking them. The minute she took a wrong turn he knew it wasn't because of her migraine. She screeched to a halt, the tires leaving skid marks on the asphalt in the parking space of his apartment complex.

"Give me your keys."

"Che cossa?"

"Que me des los putos llaves pendejo!"

She rarely broke into Spanish; Antonio spoke the Castilian dialect and she couldn't get over his natural lisp when he belted out Nino Bravo. He could control it when he really tried, but when he sang- and he wasn't bad at it either- there was no use.

"Okay! Here! Damn, take them."

He tossed his ring of keys to her and she gripped the faded "Sicily, Italia" keychain before storming off to their apartment.

Lovino stayed behind and leaned on her car, pulling out a package of cigarettes from his coat pocket and lighting one before taking a drag.

"You can't play a Latina like that Toni." He mumbled to no one in particular.

/

She relaxed herself, her mind whirling with different confrontation scenarios. Would she scream and yell, raise cain until he apologized for abandoning her? Or would she break up with him behind a mask of cold reservedness. Was he going to shrug and send her home, or would he plead and beg and cry for her to stay.

She tried to unlock his door as casually as possible, making sure to hear for any alarming noises or movements on the other side.

She burst through the door the minute she heard a muffled "go in the closet."

Emilia found Antonio in the living room with lipstick marks on his neck and face. She would've laughed at the situation; it reminded her of those old Mexican movies that she'd watch with her mother, the comical ones from the sixties and seventies with the cheating husband and the long escapades to hide his mistress from his unsuspecting wife.

But she wasn't in a movie. She didn't have a mustachioed husband that charmingly weaseled his way out of everything. This was happening to her. And she didn't know how to confront him now.

The keys fell out of her hand and she clenched her fist. Years of therapy had soothed her temper, but now... Now she wasn't so sure it had worked to begin with.

"Pinche animal! Como te atreves a engañar me así."

Skin collided on skin and she withdrew her hand when she felt a warm substance stain her fist. It was his blood. She had done it, she had hit him and now he was holding his nose in pain.

"Don't bother calling me to explain yourself. I'm sure your fucking whore can provide you with all the conversation you need." She called over in the direction of the closet. "Too bad her mouth's occupied with cock!"

She stormed out, only to come back in for something that caught her eye when she spun around. It was a bottle of wine she had bought it some weeks ago. She had meant to drink it together for a special occasion, but she noticed it was half finished. She grabbed it off the coffee table, and broke the two glasses that were next to it by throwing it at the wall closest to Antonio, startling him.

She slammed the door shut, causing a small vibration to resound through the apartment. It went better than expected.

/

When she came back to her car, Lovino wasn't even done with his second cigarette. She grabbed one from the packet he lazily held in his free hand and jerked it in front of his face to have it lit.

"Use your fucking words next time." He chastised as he flicked the lighter on and brought her smoke to life.

She grunted and stuck the cigarette in her mouth and took a drag before replying.

"Do you want some of this wine or are you gonna bitch about something else?"

"What kind?"

"I don't know, I spent about one hundred dollars on it because I thought it'd be fancier."

She held the bottle and popped off the cork with one hand, before taking a long drought. Emilia handed it to him and he did the same.

"You know Lovino, I want to know why you're being so nice. Isn't your alliance to your roomie over there?"

He stifled a chuckle and shook his head.

"He's my best friend, but I know when something's fucked up. And trust me, this entire situation is pretty fucked up."

She cracked a small smile and took another drag.

"Do you know who it is? The girl he's been seeing?"

He shrugged.

"I've seen her now and then, she's some blonde he met at this Belgian restaurant we went to. I guess she's the owner's daughter."

"Hm. Well. She can keep him."

/

They sat in Emilia's car, taking turns sipping from the pretentiously expensive bottle of wine.

"Honestly, this stuff just tastes like bitter grape juice." Emilia grimaced.

Lovino agreed and they continued their idle chatter, the stench of smoke and tobacco filling the small space. Soon the bottle of wine was finished and she threw it in the back seat.

"Hey, Mr. Complainer?"

"What?"

"I might have broken a glass or two while I was in there."

She could only laugh at his beat red face.

/

Voicemails flooded her phone and she ignored them all. A month had passed and she still wasn't left alone by Antonio. He had showed up once before to apologize and work things out, but she threatened to call her pudgy, trigger happy landowner if he set foot into her apartment. Now, she was thinking of changing her number as the frequent beeping and the automated voice messaging system kept bothering her. Lovino still kept in contact with her from time to time and he proved to be a good person to rant to because he was just as fiery as her, but she knew none of those voicemails were from him. He always dropped by instead.

She still wasn't ready to date and the cute Italian was more than available but she relented with her desires; it just wouldn't be right. Especially now when she was beginning to feel fatigued all the time. And when did her breasts begin to feel this tender? Was it her period? No, she hadn't bothered to even keep track of that, it was irregular. She felt her insides churn at the sight of the food in her fridge and she emptied the contents of her stomach into the small kitchen sink. She gripped the edges of the laminated counter and breathed rapidly, the taste of her bile making tears prick her eyes.

"That bastard, this can't be fucking happening."

Author's Note: Please drop a review and let me know what you want me to add, what pairing you want etc etc. I'm open to anything to keep this story going.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Emilia was beyond furious, that bastard had left her with child. She tensed up when she felt another wave of nausea kick in and tightened her throat when she could feel her breakfast rise up. She hated throwing up. The taste, the smell, the disgusting warmth of her innards, it all repulsed her. She sunk down to lie on the floor, curled up in a fetal position.

"I need to call someone."

She staggered to her feet, the revelation of her being an expectant mother knocking her senses to distortion. She picked up her landline and dialed the appropriate number.

"Hello, Alfred? It's me."

She waited patiently on her end, knowing she needed no introduction. She pulled the receiver away from her ear when the shouting commenced.

"EMILIA!" The excited disembodied voice practically shouted to the Heavens. "IT'S BEEN AGES!"

She sighed, knowing better than to call an old flame, but right now the circumstances were dire. Alfred was a doctor, a rather good one at that, and she could coax a free pregnancy screening if she really tried to. Emilia didn't like to use people, having been used herself, but she made up her mind to keep in contact with him after this entire debacle washed itself out.

"Hey, Alfie..." She cringed at the old pet name she had for him when they dated, "I need you to do me a really big favor."

She expected to hear silence and an eventual click of the telephone, but he answered just as chipper as he greeted.

"Sure! What can I do ya for?"

"Alfred... Bear with me when I say this."

"Uh huh?"

She could practically hear him press his ear into the receiver with curiosity.

"I might be pregnant."

Cue silence.

"I know who the father is, okay?"

"Yeah... But I mean. Why are you calling me? Isn't the dad there to help you?"

She felt her cheeks heat up and she coiled the phone's wall cord around her finger to avoid lashing out.

"No actually." She hissed. "He found himself a new baby mama."

More silence. More silence that is, until Alfred laughed hard on the other end. She furrowed her brows.

"And just what the hell is so funny?" She spat, "Is my misfortune so amusing to you?"

Hurt and embarrassment laced her voice and she could feel herself beginning to tear up as he continued to laugh on the other end.

"Oh Emi, honey." He cooed, "I'm not laughing at you. I'm sorry, but you always told me you didn't want kids! And now that it's happened, you're thinking of keeping it under these circumstances?"

She didn't see the humor in it. When Emilia said she didn't want kids, she meant she didn't want kids with Alfred. There was just something about raising a little caramel colored baby with him that made her stomach churn. He had come from such a well to do family with old money that she was sure his father resented her.

 _"Honestly Alfred, couldn't you have just married Natalia? At least your kids would come out looking like you."_

He knew his father didn't mean it like that, or at least she thought so, and she understood he was just an old fart with the same mindset people had in the stupid ages, but it still hurt.

"I never said I wanted to keep it Alfred. Now you're just putting words in my mouth. So can I schedule an appointment with you or not, Doctor Jones?"

She said his title mockingly, but it didn't stop him from grinning like the cheshire cat on the other end.

"Doctor what?"

"Ugh don't start. I'll stop by on Monday! Three o'clock."

"You know, it's the doctor that's supposed to set the appointment for you."

"Yeah, well you're not the one that's dealing with puking every five minutes. I'm calling the shots for now. See you Monday."

"It's a date."

A click was heard and they both slammed their phones back onto their proper placeholders.

"Barb! Cancel my three o'clock!"

/

The weekend went by quickly, and Emilia had made sure no one knew her little dilemma. She stayed at home, ignoring Antonio's phone calls. Lovino had stopped by to tell her that'd he would be leaving for Italy to visit family and if she would want anything for him to bring back.

"Um.. Wine? If you can. You have better taste than I do so I'll trust your judgement."

He had smiled and nodded, and bid her goodbye with a hug and a kiss on the temple. Emilia was secretly glad he had left, she didn't want Antonio to know about her pregnancy and she knew that if Lovino found out, he would soon as well.

/

Monday rolled around and Emilia found herself sleeping in. She had the day off and was taking advantage of it. Her old alarm clock ready one and she lazily got out of her beaten bed. After showering and putting on something both flattering and comfortable, she set out for the half hour's drive to Alfred's office.

Emilia got there earlier than expected and she didn't have the patience to wait in the sterilized lobby; she was restless and time seemed to go slower in there than it did outside.

She signed in first then stepped out and wandered around, looking for a vending machine.

"I already have cravings. What is this..." She mumbled, looking bewildered at the complex directory.

Alfred's office was located in a rather new building in the bustling center of the city. It was clean and polished with minimalistic furniture and plants. She hoped they had some sort of food, she was craving chocolate for some reason and a Milky Way sounded good at the moment. More wandering ensued and she soon found an old vending machine that sold different varieties of snacks. After buying almost an armful of packaged goods she returned back to the office.

"Ma'am. You can't eat in here."

Emilia glared at the pretty redheaded receptionist and continued eating palmfuls of the salted peanuts she started on.

"Ma'am, if you don't put it away I'm going to ask you to leave."

Emilia growled in frustration and shoveled another palmful into her mouth before stuffing the crinkly plastic packages into her purse.

"Thank you." The receptionist said exasperatedly.

She was met with another cold glare and pursed her lips when Emilia studied her fingernails instead.

Twenty minutes passed before someone stepped out of the door, an short, elderly lady wearing exaggerated cat eyeglasses and a pink muumuu, followed by a man wearing a white lab coat.

"Alright Mrs. Sandoval, just remember to take your medication twice a day with both lunch and dinner and you'll be good to go."

He was met with a "thank you, young man" and a pinch on the cheek. He rubbed the afflicted area sheepishly and helped her out the office. Emilia seemed to have blended in with the rest of the office because he hasn't noticed her until he had turned around.

"Emilia?"

"Yeah.. It's me." She greeted, shrugging her shoulders and smiling timorously.

The way Alfred smiled at her made her feel uncomfortable, more from self embarrassment than anything. He was so well to do, and she was here pregnant with another's child asking him for help. She stood up, remembering her manners. She didn't know what to expect from him after such a long time of seeing each other.

"You cut your hair." He noted, stepping closer to her, as if wanting to wrap a tress around his finger.

"Well yeah... Alfred how long do you think it's been? We haven't talked to each other since college."

"Then how'd you find me?"

"I still talk to Matthew, he's the only reason I even found you here. He also told me that you graduated from Berkley. That's something."

She could kick herself if she could for sounding so condescending, but she was upset that he had actually achieved his dreams without his dad's help.

"Where did you go...?" His voice trailed off, before stopping himself. He looked over Emilia's shoulder and noticed the receptionist trying her best not to eavesdrop.

"Let's step into my office."

He led her into the narrow hallway that was neatly organized with medical supplies and paperwork. He stopped at the first door on the left and unlocked it with a key he had in his pocket. He stepped aside to let her in first and closed the door behind them.

"Have a seat."

He removed his lab coat and made himself comfortable on the plush swivel chair that was placed behind his desk. The usual cheerfulness was gone, and his cobalt blue eyes pierced through her as he scrutinized her appearance.

"You owe me an explanation."

Author's Note: Hopefully I don't make Emilia a Mary Sue, I'm giving her flaws and hopefully she's likable enough. Please read and review, I really want to continue this story. I'll read anything with Mexico in it, but I really like SpaMex, RomaMex and AmeMex. I just made up those names. I don't know what the actual shipping name is lmao. Anyway, I have the general plot but I just need to work out the details. Like I said before, I'm open to any suggestions. I don't want to overwhelm the story with too many characters, but tell me who you want to see and I'll incorporate them. If you have any suggestions, PM me! Thank you! I'll try to update regularly!


	4. Chapter 4

Author's Note: I am loving the feedback. I keep trying to do the whole show not tell thing, but I feel like I make it stale sometimes from over describing. I don't know. I really want this to be a successful story. You don't get many stories with Mexico in it, and I've reread the ones that exist countless times. Anyway. As a side note, Emilia's last name is pronounced par-dah-veh. I liked the idea after reading about a Mexican, Golden Age actor. Well, hopefully you enjoy all the angst this woman can't escape.

Chapter Four

"Wh-what."

"You heard me, now start explaining." He crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair, awaiting his response.

She pursed her lips, unsure of what to say. Her eyes wandered from his face to his thick biceps that only looked even bigger in the button up and tie he wore to the framed photograph that sat next to his stack of paperwork. It was a picture of him in his graduation cap and gown with a pretty platinum blonde hanging on his arm, and his father standing proudly next to him. They looked happy. Extremely happy. She grimaced and flicked her eyes to him.

"So you married her after all?"

"Do you see a ring on my finger."

She glanced briefly at his large hands.

"No.."

"So there's your answer."

She huffed and felt terrible when a wave of relief washed over her. She blamed the messed up hormones.

"I'm going to be asking all the questions. After all, I am the doctor."

She wanted to slap the smug look off his face, but he was right. Emilia hated it when he was right.

"Where did you go after that night we fought at my parents house?"

Her eyes widened and she could feel her face turning red.

"I don't have to answer anything like that, are you going to give my my pregnancy test or not."

He tsked, making her more upset than she already was. She continued with her verbal onslaught.

"I can just go to another doctor. I'm not going to spend the afternoon explaining why I didn't want to be with you anymore."

Ouch. Even she knew she went too far. But when she made eye contact with him, he didn't seem fazed in the slightest.

"You don't need to tell me you didn't want to be with me, you running off after dinner was more than enough to send the message across."

"Why does it matter anyway?" She raised her voice, jerking a strand of hair behind her ear. She wondered if the receptionist could hear her. "You moved on quickly, you did what your father wanted and you dated the woman. Matthew even told me you proposed to her. You wouldn't even think about doing that with me!"

Emilia was leaning over the desk at that point, her palms splayed out on the hard oak. She slumped back into her seat and rested her head onto her hands. Alfred opened his mouth to speak, but she cut him off. Her voice soft and sorrowful.

"Antonio left me for someone else. Someone better, and prettier and I'm sure she had a better body. It's been a little over a month. How can I get over that? How can I live, knowing that he left me to bear his kid? He's called, but I know it's not to make things right. It's just to apologize so he doesn't look like the asshole."

She could feel tears stain her jeans and her stomach growl from hunger. The incessant gurgling caused her to pull out her unfinished pack of peanuts and eat them.

"You can tell your receptionist to shove it. I'm hungry." She evoked tearfully between mouthfuls.

Alfred gave a small smile and nodded. But he didn't forget what she said.

"Emilia. I loved you. I loved you so much."

She continued munching on her peanuts, her eyebrows furrowed and eyes glassy with tears.

"Matthew may be my brother, but he doesn't know what really happened. Come on, he's lived with our uncle Francis in Canada since we graduated high school. I could think that the reason why he said I proposed to Natalia was because a week after you basically disappeared, I pulled out this ring box..." Alfred swallowed thickly before continuing, "and he walked in, he was visiting from Montreal, you remember, and got all chipper about it, you know Matt, how he is. Starting shouting things like 'dad! He's proposing to her' and stuff like that."

He took off his glasses to rub the bridge of his nose and then looked at her meaningfully. Emilia was still staring at the desk top and eating. She was listening, he knew she seldom made eye contact during conversation. But she was the best listener he knew. He cleared his throat then carried on.

"I had to stop my dad from calling Natalia and giving her false hopes, I mean that just wouldn't be right. I had to explain to him that the ring..." He stopped himself and took a deep breath, "I had to explain that the ring had been for you."

The thoughtful munching that had become white noise suddenly stopped. If Emilia had done a bad job at trying to stop herself from crying, she certainly was doing a terrible job now. Her bronze cheeks were stained with tears and the top of her upper lip was being constantly licked to stop them from falling on her sweater. He smiled, albeit bittersweetly and offered her a tissue from the box he had on hand. She took it and blew her nose.

"Emilia, I never meant to hurt you. You know what a racist jerk my father is. He didn't even like Natalia that much because of her brother..."

"It still doesn't make it right. You want to know why I left? You really want to know?"

He nodded and placed his hands placidly on the desk.

"I left because I knew I wouldn't be accepted into your world."

"Emilia? What are you talking about?"

"This isn't some movie that has a happy ending," She interrupted, "this isn't Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, where everyone embraces each other and apologizes at the end."

She wiped the tears roughly and took a shaky breath.

"I left after dinner because your father told me to. He said he didn't want someone like me to date his son. Come on, Alfred. I was born in Mexico. I barely got my residence card when you graduated. I'm working a job as a sales associate at Bloomingdales's. He had a point. I'm not going anywhere in life. And to top it all off, I'm knocked up by some Spanish asshole who thought he was slick enough to cheat on me."

She finally broke into loud sobs, pressing her palms against her eyes as if to stop the leakage.

"What am I going to do... Wh-what am I going to do when my baby asks me why they have no father?"

Her shoulders shook and she began to eventually hiccup.

"Does he know?"

She looked up and eyed the bespectacled man carefully.

"No..." She answered slowly, "and I don't intend for him to."

"Why?"

It took her about an hour to explain why and convince him that keeping the baby from Antonio was the best choice.

"Don't you think that maybe you're doing this out of spite?" Alfred eventually noted, and she furiously shook her head.

"No, you don't understand. I'd rather do this by myself. I don't want him around. I really don't!"

By then the crying had stopped and she was more violent with her words than anything. Whenever she spoke the volume of her voice would increase and Alfred had to chide her to lower it. All the while, the truth behind her departure from his life gnawed at the back of his head.

"I think I should go, I've been here long enough and I'm tired. We all know the result of this test. Sorry to waste your time."

She stood up abruptly, slinging her purse's strap over her shoulder.

"Bye Alfred. It was good seeing you again."

Emilia made her way to the door but stopped when she heard the swivel chair slam against the wall. Alfred had gotten up too, but he looked pained, his blue eyes were glassy and his thin lips were quivering.

"Please. Stay. We'll go out somewhere. I can't just let you leave. Not when I just got you back."

She laughed bitterly and ran a shaky hand through her hair.

"Alfred. It's been two years. I've moved on and I'm sure you have too."

"Yes, I've dated women, but it wasn't the same. You were different. Come on, we dated throughout college, that was four years of our lives. Look me in the eye and tell me you don't feel something for me."

Their eyes met, for a brief second before she broke contact. But for that second she felt warm and fuzzy, however, she knew better and pushed those feeling back into the recesses of her heart.

"Alfred, what are you talking about?You really think we can resume this relationship? I'm fucking pregnant."

She pointed at her stomach, jutting it out for effect.

"I didn't ask for this. But it's my fault. And I'm trying to own up to it."

She scoffed and opened the door and stormed out. Alfred rushed after her, grabbing her arm as gently as he could. Emilia didn't know whether to be charmed or repulsed by his persistence.

"Let me help you at least. I know a good nutritionist and a midwife that can help you get the pregnancy off to a good start."

She blanched, and snatched her arm away.

"Why are you being so nice? You don't owe me anything. This isn't your problem, I just wanted a goddamn pregnancy test, but I mean it was obvious. I've gained like ten pounds the last month."

She mumbled the last part, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I don't care about any of that. I want you to be safe. You can't do this alone Emilia, and I know your mom's probably still in Mexico, what other option do you have? Me, of course."

He flashed her a dashing smile and she rolled her eyes.

"You wanna know why?"

He waggled his eyebrows.

"Don't say it."

"Cause..."

"I mean it Alfred, don't say it."

He leaned in and gripped her shoulders, a goofy smile on his face.

"Cause I'm the hero!"

She slapped her palm against her face and whined, albeit good-naturedly. She could admit she missed him at least, but that was all.

Author's Note: I'm sorry if this chapter was confusing or sucked, I just really wanted to add a subplot and some drama to the already angsty situation. I live for the dramatic, but not like Maria de la Barrio type of stuff... Cause then this story would be more satire than anything haha. Tell me what you guys think. I'm willing to rewrite it if it's not good enough... I'm sorry about any plotholes too. I'm working on it. Read and review please! Your guys' feedback is always appreciated!


	5. Chapter 5

Author's Note: Okay, I'm going to be honest with you. This was originally going to take place in the sixties-seventies, because those are my ultimate favorite decades, but I mean, when I try to do that I always focus too much on being historically accurate and then I don't really focus on the characters. So I'm just gonna play it safe and have it be like the Archer universe where no one knows what year it is. Sorry about that, maybe I'll rewrite the story in the future but for now I'm happy with how it's turning out. If you have any suggestions or comments, feel free to message me or review! Reviews are always appreciated!

Chapter Five

Emilia left the office with a short list of numbers. The midwife, the nutritionist, Alfred even snuck in his own personal number. He had hugged her goodbye and she could feel the two years of his absence vanish with his embrace. She rolled her eyes at herself; she couldn't still have feelings for him, not when she was recuperating from her last break up. He was helpful and sweet, and she wondered why she ever even listened to his father, but it wasn't right to feel like this for him after two whole years. Emilia drove back home in silence, some of her comfort music drowning out the tension she felt. The sun had set by the time she arrived home and she felt tired and drained from the crying and talking. Her throat felt sore and she could feel her jaw ache, making moving it the slightest bit uncomfortable. Tomorrow would be another day, but for now, she needed sleep.

/

Work was hard to wake up to in the morning, but she was thankful she wasn't closing. Between the hours of eight to four she worked endlessly at Bloomingdale's. The usual occurred; women complaining about not finding the right sizes, the right color or style etc. etc.

Emilia had enough patience built up to deal with the degradation of snobby women tell her off about things she couldn't control, but today proved to be intolerable.

She had seen her. The pretty blonde that Antonio had hid in the apartment that afternoon was shopping around in Emilia's department. Her chin length hair was curled and adorned with a hair ribbon thats ends stuck out in a bow from behind the nape of her neck. She wore a pair of white, high waisted shorts and a marigold colored bloused that she tucked in. She looked fashionable, with her long legs angled nicely in her cork wedges and radiating confidence.

Emilia wanted to leave, make up an excuse to go to the break room, but she wasn't due for her break in another half an hour. She pulled her coworker aside to a rack of Prada bags and began whispering to her.

"Graciela... Cover me for a couple minutes. I'm gonna go-"

"Excuse me? Can I get some help over here."

Emilia winced and brushed imaginary dust from her black, high waisted cigarette slacks and put on her most cheerful demeanor as she turned around and greeted the very woman she dreaded.

"Hello, how may I help you today?"

"Excuse me...," the blonde squinted at Emilia's name tag and placed a hand on her cocked hip, revealing pearly teeth as she smiled sweetly, "Emilia? Okay, well I need some help finding a dress my size. I'm going to a dinner today, and I want it to fit perfectly."

Emilia inwardly cringed at how comfortable woman was with her, and she could've sworn if she wasn't the one that fucked her baby daddy, maybe, just maybe she could've put up with her and made this exchange tolerable.

"Well, what did you have in mind?" Emilia perked up her voice, using her default salesman persona, and clasped her hands together patiently.

"Something, how you would say... Hot." Emilia took note that this woman had a thick accent. Was it Dutch?

"Yes that's exactly how we say it." Emilia answered brusquely through gritted teeth, her smile, now Joker like, still plastered on her face, "Follow me."

Emilia led the women to a section of the store that contained sparse racks of dresses with designer labels. Honestly, she would've given herself a medal for how much patience she had. She was helping this home-wrecker find a dress to go out to dinner with her ex boyfriend. Her mother would not approve, in fact, she would be given a beating for even putting up with such bullshit.

Your father would have to pray to several Gods if he ever cheated on me. Because if he did, just ours alone wouldn't be enough to save him from the hell he'd endure.

Despite the razzing, their parents loved each other very much. They married young and didn't have any children in the initial start of their marriage because her father had to fight in the second World War. When he returned, they tried and tried but it was difficult for them to conceive. Until finally, Emilia was born. After that, bearing more children wasn't their priority anymore, raising the rambunctious infant was. Emilia wished she could have something like that, but for now she was too busy giving Antonio's mistress a fitting.

"Okay, so we have these two, they're new cocktail dresses by Valentino." Emilia held up what looked like slivers of colored fabric she had plucked from the nearest rack. One was a deep red, and the other a jewel green.

The blonde placed a finger on her pink lips, deep in thought before waving her hand dismissively.

"Hm, you have anything else?"

/

An hour passed and this women, whose name turned out to be Agatha, couldn't decide what to pick and buy. Emilia tried to engage in conversation, and picked up tidbits about her date. Agatha was going with someone she had met at her father's restaurant, and according to her, had the most beautiful green eyes you could ever see.

"What's his name?" She asked earnestly, hoping to get the confirmation.

"Antonio," Agatha beamed from the other side of the fitting room, before opening the door and stepping out in a blue evening dress with a plunging neckline. The muted color made her eyes pop and Emilia couldn't help but feel a little pang of jealousy hit her. She wished she could find something to nitpick but she couldn't.

"So would that be all for you?"

"Yes!" Agatha squealed when she looked at herself in the large three panel mirror.

Emilia hoped the bitterness would go away, she couldn't bear to live with so much hatred in her heart.

/

Emilia had to take her break at a later time because of Agatha's indecisiveness. She sat in the break room, eating her granola bar and small baggie of strawberries. She sipped from a water bottle, deep in thought. Why didn't Agatha recognize her? Why couldn't she have been mean, to give Emilia a reason to mistreat her? Had Antonio even told her that he was dating her before her? She wanted to know, desperately, but Agatha had already left. What infuriated her more was the fact that he was still seeing her. What was the point of all that calling?

She threw the plastic baggie away and clocked in for work. She wiped the crumbs from the granola off her starched white blouse and sauntered back onto the sales floor.

The day was quiet, it was Tuesday after all, and no one really shopped after the lunch hour. People were sparse and she liked working that way. Less forced interaction. She stood behind her department's counter, idly folding and rehanging clothes women had left in the fitting rooms.

"Emilia?" It was her coworker Graciela, and she looked flustered.

The tall and birdlike woman looked behind her for a second before jerking her head back to the shorter woman.

"Emilia, someone's looking for you.. And he's got a small bag with him... And, and-"

Emilia held her hands up in mock self defense.

"Graciela, relax, why are you so bent out of shape?"

"Because he's hot!" Graciela hissed, gripping the counter's edge and gave Emilia a look that said "are you crazy?"

Emilia deadpanned.

"And?"

Graciela shook a flat palm out, as if begging for an answer.

"What do you mean 'and,' he's looking for you! I would kill to be in your shoes right now."

Emilia laughed genuinely for the first time in what seemed ages, and Graciela gave her a puzzled look.

"What's so funny?"

"You are. Where is he?"

"I left him over by the furniture section because I didn't know if you wanted to see him."

Emilia placed her hand on her heart and "awwed" at her coworker's thoughtfulness.

"Thanks Graciela, I'll be back to clock out in a bit."

Emilia couldn't help but wonder who went out of their way to see her at work.

/

Okay. This was a filler chapter. I know, I'm sorry. I don't want to just start slapping pointless stuff together and updating, but I really didn't know what else to write. I have so many plot twists and ideas and I really need help executing them. I usually read stories with the typical "cheating husband, woman seeks revenge etc etc" plots, but I wanted Emilia to be the bigger person and not rip Agatha's throat out. I mean, she wanted to, but what good would that do? I also don't want to give Emilia too many love interests, so we're gonna keep it at these two. Maybe Roma too, idk what to do with him yet. Graciela is also just a minor character for this chapter, sorta comic relief. Thanks for reading and sending feedback, but I could use a lot of help. I didn't want to completely antagonize Agatha, so I made her canon nice and sweet. Anyway, drop a review or message me, whatever helps! I'm open to suggestions! Until next time!


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

Emilia wandered into the furniture department, looking around for her mysterious visitor.

"Hello?" She called out, "Someone wanted to see me?"

Thank goodness the section of the store was entirely deserted, because she felt absolutely ridiculous calling out to the stillness of the atmosphere.

She felt a pair of burly arms wrap around her middle and hoist her up bridal style.

"Put me down!" She protested, squirming and kicking her legs when she felt herself suspended in the air.

"Come on primita, why would I do that?"

She turned to look at her offender, and realized it was her cousin, Carlos. He had grown since the last time he had visited from Cuba and she smiled widely when she saw that he had finally tied his unruly dreads back into a neat ponytail.

"Valla, que te peinasteis." She teased, hugging him with great force.

"Callate nena." He retorted good-naturedly, turning red when she laughed and squirmed out of his arms.

"Let me see how tall you got."

He laughed and they sat down on display couch and caught up. The usual "how've you been" and "what have you been up to's" abandoned and replaced with banter and reminiscing. Carlos had found work in Florida and flew to California to visit on his vacation time to surprise her.

"I got you something though." He had broached after the idle chatter ceased to carry on.

He handed her a small bag from a children's boutique that was down the street from where she worked. It was pink and had a bow attached to a side, with the words, "Gifts from Heaven" written in white cursive on it. Emilia's breathing grew shallow, and she felt as if she couldn't even pull the tissue paper out of the bag. But when she looked at the expectant look on Carlos' face, she managed to muster the strength to open his gift. It was a baby onesie, so small, she figured he had made a mistake and bought her doll's clothing. But he gently grabbed it from her and showed her the embroidered cartoon elephant it had on the bottom and the soft roomy fabric. It really was meant for her baby.

"Alfred told Matthew and me you were expecting," He confessed, "And I couldn't just go back to Havana without giving you something to start you off."

"Is that all he told you?" She asked slowly, "Did he mention anything else."

"Just that your boyfriend is away on business and you want this to be a surprise for him when he gets back."

A wave of relief rushed over her and despite the blatant lying Alfred did to cover for her, she knew it would backfire somehow. She was grateful that Carlos didn't know the truth, his pugnacious attitude and short fuse were something never meant to cross, and she didn't know what he'd do if he found out Antonio was seeing someone else. She looked at her petite wristwatch and saw that she was past due clocking out.

"Come on, let's get out of here." She mumbled, getting up, "I have to clock out, and they're not paying me overtime."

/

Emilia spent the rest of the afternoon with Carlos, going out to dinner and discussing plans on what to do after the baby was born.

"I can always go back with my mom." She mused, poking at her chicken salad.

"What about the dad?"

"He travels... A lot." She said dryly, taking a sip of her water nonchalantly, before adding, "I don't think he'd mind."

Carlos cleared his throat and changed the topic.

"I'm only going to be here until Friday. I'm going to be staying at the Marriott if you need anything. But let's do something after you're off work?"

She nodded and when he rounded up the waiter for the check, she felt the anger that she repressed boil in her belly.

/

"Alfred you son of a bitch!"

"Wha-"

"How could you tell Matthew AND Carlos about my pregnancy? Now, you've really done it. Do you have any idea what Carlos would do to Antonio if he knew he was fucking some broad he found on the block?"

Emilia gripped the receiver with so much force she could see her knuckles turn white. She awaited his reply but just as he was about to speak, she cut him off.

"I told you I wanted to do this myself, but you went ahead and played the hero and I'm accepting your help. But now you got my family involved, and now Carlos is going to tell my mom- who's very Catholic, and I mean very Catholic. I'm not married! This baby's going to be a ba-"

"Woah, woah, woah!" Alfred interjected, "You're getting ahead of yourself. I didn't even tell Carlos, Matthew squawked because he's happy for you. He likes babies. And well... You know Carlos doesn't like me, but he's been friends with Matt since they were brace faced dorks. Come on, what did you expect?"

"I expected you not to tell anyone." She replied through gritted teeth. He sighed audibly over the line.

"Okay, I'm sorry. What can I do to make it better."

"Meet me in the park tomorrow. I'm calling in sick, and we're going to discuss some things. Capiche?"

"What do we have to talk about that's so important we can't talk about it on the phone?"

"Hm, gee, I don't know Alfred, maybe because I'm pregnant and you made a show about being there for me. Well, now I need you and you're going to stick to your code of honor. I'll be waiting for you by the playground at noon. Don't be late. It's the park on seventeenth." She sassed back before slamming the receiver down.

/

Calling in sick was a breeze, faking a cough and sore throat fooled her boss easily, and now Emilia was free to sleep in until ten and take her time getting ready. She didn't know why she felt the need to do her makeup and hair, but after so many days of looking tired and dreary she felt it was appropriate. Emilia had picked the park on seventeenth street because it was the closest one to her apartment. Donning a sweet, demure face and an oversized sweater and stretchy leggings, she felt both comfortable and pretty. She needed it after feeling so inadequate next to Agatha yesterday. The clock on her dresser read eleven fifty, so she gathered her things and left. The ride would only take about ten minutes, she wasn't in a hurry and she was sure she'd get there on time.

/

She found Alfred sitting by the playground like she instructed him to. He was watching the children play on the equipment, and she made sure to quickly sit next to him and rub her stomach tiredly so the other mothers on the playground wouldn't get the wrong idea.

"How long were you waiting." She whispered as she watched a toddler go down the slide.

"Oh, I got here exactly at noon. You're five minutes late to your own meeting." He replied smarmy like, but felt his stomach tighten when he saw a little girl fall face first onto the sand. Since when did he get that way over kids?

"Come on, let's go for a walk. I can't think with so much noise." Emilia lied through her teeth, taking him by the hand and leading him through a concrete trail through the foliage.

They walked away from the busy playground, still hand in hand. It was peaceful, the park being large in size with great fields and lush grass and trees. The local community was working on a garden nearby, adding some color to the expanse of green and brown.

"Why'd we leave the playground?" Alfred inquired, rubbing her hand with his thumb, treading dangerous waters when it came to how far he could go.

"Okay, I just didn't want to be there any longer. Did you see how tired those mothers looked... And the kids! They were so loud and just ran around aimlessly." She ran her free hand through her hair then pressed it against her forehead in disbelief.

"Emilia, they're kids." Alfred deadpanned, stopping the both of them to stand on the side of the trail, the occasional biker speeding past them. He held both her hands gently.

"You have to relax, so much stress isn't good for you- pregnant or not. Come on, we used to babysit Raivis together when he was an infant."

"But Raivis didn't yell or scream or kick as much as any of these kids!" Emilia interjected, turning away to mumble, "All he did was cry and whimper when you laughed too hard around him."

Alfred gripped her hands a bit firmer, a look of determination on his face.

"Yeah, but Emilia, you have to remember that the only reason why he didn't act up was because you were so good to him. Now imagine yourself with your own baby. You're going to be a great mother." He held her hands up to his lips and kissed them.

"I'm going to make sure of it."

Since when did she allow herself to let him go that far? Why wasn't she pulling back and recoiling to his touch? Maybe she did need him after all...

"Alfred." She breathed out, her expression unreadable.

He hummed in response as he pressed the top of her hands against his face.

"Do you... Do you still love me?"

He looked up, his eyes wide and bright. Her ears then filled with the sound of his loud laughter and she looked puzzled- even hurt, for a split second.

"Emilia, of course I do. Why else would I go through all this trouble? I may not be able to have you as my wife, but any way I can have you I'm alright with. As long as I still have you in my life."

Alfred's words were sincere and genuine, and she let go of his hands to wipe at her eyes, for fear of crying in front of him again.

"Jesus Alfred, it's been two years, if you had just sent me away I would not be feeling like this-"

"Emilia?"

A familiar voice called out to her, and she looked up at Alfred, who looked just as confused as she did. She quirked a brow then turned her head to look over her shoulder. Antonio stood a couple feet behind her, in running shorts and an old college sweater.

"I haven't seen you in a while." She greeted dryly, silently grateful that Alfred had wrapped a protective arm around her waist; she wasn't sure she'd be able to talk to her former lover without exploding.

"I've been calling. You haven't been answering." He retorted, before casting his glance onto the blond that held her, "Who's this?"

"Name's Alfred. Pleasure. We were just leaving." Said man steeled himself before ushering Emilia back to the other end of the trail.

"Hey!" Antonio barked, jogging to catch up to them before stopping the couple in their path, "I haven't seen her in over a month, you can't just take her away from me. I need answers!"

He looked angry, his green eyes shone wildly. Alfred tried averting him, leading Emilia around him but Antonio grabbed onto him and shoved him to the side before grabbing Emilia by the wrist. Alfred didn't act as quickly as she did however, and reduced himself to standing a couple feet from them.

"Where have you been all this time? I've tried calling-"

"That's all you did! All you did was call!" Emilia snatched her arm away and fell into a wild frenzy of emotions. How dare he. She could feel her hair stick to her face as hot tears poured down her face. It had seemed like forever ago since someone had made her cry from sheer anger.

"Tu nomas llamasteis-" she slipped into Spanish, jabbing her fingers into his broad chest for emphasis, "All you did was fucking call, AND while you were still seeing her! Don't make it seem like I abandoned you! You're the one who ruined everything because you wanted to bed someone else for a change!" She shouted wildly, her words accompanied by animated gestures and jerky movements. He tried talking over her, but he couldn't match the passion in her voice.

"Te ame! Te ame con tanto ternura and locura que no te lo puedes imaginar, Antonio!" She felt so pathetic evoking these words, but he had to know. He had to know the pain she felt. Alfred was watching from the sidelines, ready to step in if things got too intense, they were already drawing onlookers and despite knowing that she needed to vent, he had to get her out of there.

"Emilia, sweetheart, let's go." Alfred coaxed softly, touching her forearm gently only to have her move away.

"No!" She screamed, her voice gravelly from the extensive use of it, "He has to know what he's done."

"Don't think I don't know about that dinner, animal." She said sardonically, uttering the Spanish insult with so much venom, it even made Alfred wince, "She bought a dress with your fucking credit card during my shift yesterday. So don't think for a second you can come up to me and reprimand me for moving on."

By now the brief tears had subsided and her eyes were red and puffy. Antonio stood quiet, not wanting to be made the fool, but he couldn't form any coherent thoughts. He had never seen her so livid and he resorted to reaching out for her.

"Don't you dare touch me. I never want to see you again." She spat out darkly, turning on her heel to leave the park with Alfred as Antonio watched them walk away, arms wrapped protectively over his waist and her shoulders due to the differences in height. They had made such a handsome couple. As the rubbernecking spectators disbanded and reverted back to their own endeavors, Antonio was left in the middle of the concrete trail, watching what could have been the love of his life leave with another man. He had never felt so much remorse in his life, but he let her go for now. He'd get her back one way, somehow.

Author's Note: It kinda took me a while to think of this then put it intk a chapter. I personally like fast paced stories, and I have trouble controlling the flow, but I really want this to take place over the course of a couple years. Antonio is eventually going to find out its his, and I already have an idea for it, but right now I'm trying to work on Emilia's relationship with Alfred. I think they're adorable together but they're not going to date just yet, but they find comfort in each other and I think that's sweet. I know there's a lot of plotholes, but I mean this is kind of like a novela, I would just go along with it for the drama. I added Cuba because I mean come on, he's a cool character and I never see enough of him. Plus, an overprotective cousin with no regard of whether or not he's throw in jail for assault is pretty badass. Family comes first in his case and I admire that. Also, Roma is coming back from Italy soon, and he's going to play a bigger part. So, please read and review and I enjoy whatever feedback you have for me. Seriously, I get excited when my Email notifies me about it. Until next time!


	7. Chapter 7

Months passed since the debacle at the park, and Emilia found herself gaining more and more weight. Work was harder now due to her walk turning into a waddle, but her boss had recognized the effort she was putting in and promoted her to a comfortable desk position upstairs. Emilia answered phone calls and took orders from designers who wanted certain textiles and the like, and life seemed easier. She and Alfred casually dated and there was no sign of Antonio attempting to talk things out with her. It still hurt, but she was slowly learning that maybe it was for the best. She didn't know what kind of father he'd be, and from the looks of it, Alfred was a better choice. They had talked about their relationship post pregnancy, and Alfred expressed his desire to be in her life and the baby's, both mentally and financially. Initially, it angered her, because she wasn't a charity case and she didn't want Alfred's pity. But he lacked the "holier than thou" vibe and simply stated that it was because he loved her, that this was what he had always wanted with her, throughout college and their relationship. Tears had pricked her eyes then, knowing his fantasy was marred by someone else.

"I want children with you, we can always have more, later of course. But Emilia, I just want you to know I wouldn't do anything you don't want."

Why did he have to be so perfect? He could have just married Natalia and pleased his father, but he stuck around, waiting and hoping, even after she hurt him. Emilia came to the conclusion that she didn't have the type of devotion he did.

/

She was eight and a half months pregnant; Emilia herself was excited and Alfred was no exception to the infectious attitude she had. Her mood swings were terrible during the development of the baby, and Alfred had been so patient and gentle with her. He accompanied her to the ultrasounds, had helped pick out names for the baby and even went on snack runs for her during his lunch at work- without her asking of course. It puzzled her why he would even bother with so much, they weren't sleeping with each other and aside from the occasional dinner date at home, they didn't step out of line with each other. The occasional kiss on the temple or cheek was welcomed, but they proved to be a platonic couple. Of course there were times when she wanted to desperately kiss him, have the taste of his lips linger on hers, have the scent of his peppermint aftershave engulf her and feel warm and bubbly at the thought of this man wanting her and only her. Emilia prided herself in being able to have some restraint, pushing back her wants deep into the recesses of her heart. She was going allow life to steer her into whatever direction it seemed fit, for now, she just wanted her baby to arrive into the world healthy.

/

Lovino wasn't completely absent from her life, but she didn't want him to notice her swollen stomach. She kept contact with him during the initial months on her pregnancy, then slowly resorted to keeping the friendship based on phone calls and sporadic coffee outings, usually wearing baggy clothing. If he did notice, he didn't say anything, and she was grateful enough for that. They were both busy with work and their own personal lives, but the tidbits that they shared revealed that he was moving out of the apartment to move into his own flat farther away and Antonio was finding a new roommate. She had smirked into her mug of tea when he mentioned that, happy that some misfortune was brought along her ex-lover's way.

Things were fine, she was juggling time between Alfred and work and her outings with Lovino. No one suspected she was pregnant, save for herself and Alfred. Carlos wrote and phoned her whenever he could spare the expense of a calling card and sent her small gifts for the baby.

Everything seemed perfect until Lovino called her one night, his voice as dark and grim as he could make it.

"Coffee. Now." He stated, hanging up abruptly.

She could feel her heart race, what was so important that Lovino needed to have her drive to their favorite cafe at ten in the evening?

Emilia found him sitting in the usual corner table they dined at, and he looked as sullen as ever with his crossed arms and scowling face.

"Have a seat."

She sat across from him, fidgeting with the hem of her baggy knitted sweater. It was originally Alfred's but he had given it to her, clueless on what maternity clothes actually were.

"How long?" Lovino asked gruffly, his fine eyebrows furrowed.

"How long what?"

"The pregnancy," he hissed, gripping the edge of the table, "how long have you been pregnant."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Her voice cracked, and she mentally kicked herself at her own vulnerability.

He stood up abruptly and made his way to her, gently grabbing her arm and standing her up. She squirmed and protested, but his hands went from her sides to her protruding stomach, the thick sweater adding more mass to it. He sighed and sat back down in his chair.

"I can't believe you'd keep it from me. Just when I was starting to like you." He mumbled, tiredly rubbing his face with his whole hand.

"What do you mean? Lovi, come on, you'd tell Antonio, and I don't-"

"Oh, it's Antonio's? That just makes things better, doesn't it." He laughed bitterly, and ran a hand through his hair, before resting his forehead against it.

"Lovi, I don't understand... I wanted to keep it from you because I know Antonio would find out, I don't want him in my life anymore." Her voice was shaky, she couldn't possibly lose Lovino, not when their friendship was going so well.

"Well, I can't guarantee he won't find out eventually. When he sees a little carbon copy of him running about, he's gonna know. He's dense sometimes but not stupid."

He crossed his arms and looked away from her. Was that a hint of sadness she saw in his eyes?

"Lovino, how did you know? I didn't make it obvious."

"Oh cara mia, I'm far from being an idiot. I picked up the pieces pretty fast. You waddle now, you wear baggier clothing, you don't even drink fucking coffee anymore! I've know since the last time we were here. I was just too polite to say anything. But!" He drawled out that last word exasperatedly, "Seeing as though you were never going to tell me, I had to conduct this confrontation."

He was seething as this point, and he hissed every word, jabbing and pressing his index finger into the table for emphasis.

"I don't understand..." She repeated, pressing her sweaty palm against her forehead, her mind swimming with so many emotions. Why did he care so much.

"You could've been mine!" He spat out in his native tongue, before storming off, leaving her confused and fazed.

Well, at least he didn't leave her with the bill.

/

Alfred caressed her petite frame in her arms; they often spent their evenings on her couch after their days at work, and he was beginning to spend the night at her place, something she never allowed Antonio to do. He marveled at her paintings and tried to sound knowledgable about different artistic methods whenever he talked to her about them, only making her grin wider because in the end he really was trying to relate to her and he had made an effort to research her interests.

"How are you feeling?" He asked changing the topic, and giving her stomach a slight rub.

"I'm okay, just a little anxious."

She was due any week now, and it frightened her, how much pain would she endure? Would the baby be alright? What would he look like? Would he have the same bright green eyes like her father or her dull brown ones? She dazed off and Alfred took it as a sign that she just wanted to be held. No more talking, no more questions, just pure physical comfort.

"Emilia?" His soft tone broke the silence. He could never stay quiet for very long.

"Hm?"

"Promise me you'll stay this time?"

Silence ensued but she placed a warm hand on his cheek and looked up at him.

"I promise."

The deal was sealed with a soft feathery kiss and for once, nothing seemed out of place in their world.

Author's Note: I'm sorry if this chapter was bad, I've recently picked up two jobs to help support my family and go to school, and I'm exhausted. I really want to keep this story up and I know I could've done better but I didn't want to disappoint. I made Lovino upset because he liked Emilia, and finding out your crush is pregnant with your best friend's baby is kinda heartbreaking. Despite being a ladies man, I think he's socially awkward with people he really likes. And Emilia was no exception, but she has no room for romance with him, cause AmeMex. Maybe, I'll make an AU but for now, I like the weird complicated relationship they have. And also, as a sidenote, this is loosely- very loosely- based on how my parents met and separated so if it seems unbelievable trust me, it happened somehow. If you guys have any suggestions pm me or review, reviews are always appreciated. I love how you guys take the time out of your day to give me constructive criticism. I also sped up the pregnancy because if I didn't you'd just get fluff filled one shots of Emilia and Alfred doing baby stuff. Well, until next time!


End file.
